A New Beginning
by lightning-storm
Summary: Chapter 3 of Into the Night! Kaoru patrols the night looking for the stranger who hunts in the name of her school when she comes across a mysterious stranger. Covers ch 1 of the Manga.


I find it quite funny that almost 10 years ago I started this fic. Just like the 10 year span in the show lol, and the time period in this story. Non intentional I swear. This is technically the third part of 'Into the Night', but I wasn't sure it fit in my Bakamatsu fic. Originally I had attached the partial version to that story but I received no reviews! Is it really that bad? Please critique my story at least, as I would like to do better. Anyways, I decided to remove that, and post this.

Anyhow, I had thought about this many times when I first completed this piece, but because of whatever reason, I didn't start it. Most likely since it wasn't in the Bakumatsu. Hopefully this chapter would make my series go full circle. So now, six years later, here it is. Please enjoy it

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me or any of my affiliates. I just like adding to one of my previous obsessions. By the way, who here saw the movie last year? Adios

Remember READ and REVIEW

A New Beginning  
By lightning-storm

Kaoru tapped her foot irritated on the dojo floor. Tonight was the night. For two months he had paced the night, striking people down in her father's name. She would not have it; she could not, not after she had tried so hard to bring back glory to her father's school. 11 years ago he had a dream, a dream to make a Kenjutso style all his own and a style that would be to protect those in the new era. It was his last gift to the world, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, or Katsjukin-Ken- sword that gives life.

_After all, if swords could be used to kill for a dream of peace, can't those same swords be used to protect those same people?_

Kaoru winced as she remembered the date her father made his ideal known. She had been reckless by running away from her home in the heat of battle. Hiding away on one of the crates, she had been found and thrown into her father's room as he took part in a long meeting. She thought she was safe but then…Kaoru shivered as the men broke in and dragged her out the window, beating her all the way. She would have died had it not been for the terrifying stranger that had saved her. Even now she could not get his molten eyes out of her mind.

Not surprisingly, after that night's event she couldn't even look at a sword without screaming. That is until one night, when all was quiet and the moon glowed orange.

_It was a hidden base in which soldiers were allowed a temporary 2-3 day leave to check on their families. Talk of the end of the war had been spreading fast, but news of some enemy spies infiltrating the safe haven spread even faster. Many people had been evacuated, and Kaoru her self was scheduled to return to her temporary guardian the following day. That night seemed far quieter than it should be, as normal sounds had come to naught and the air seemed rift with fear and anticipation._

_About a quarter past midnights, Kaoru was roused from her sleep as a mass of distant voices cut through the air. Angry and cool voices, Kaoru's eyes widened as her father patted her head and ordered her to hide in the corridor. He grabbed his katana and rose to the fight, his allies following shortly behind. Kaoru hunched in a corner as she heard the cries and clashes of steel against steel throughout the night, covering her ears and muffling a cry in terror. She heard some movement outside her hiding space, and shivered as the movements went still. Kouru heard a rapping a as a bit of light streamed in. Afraid, Kaoru shuffled back only to look up to some unfamiliar eyes. The man grinned darkly before another figure tore behind him and stabbed him through. The body fell in a crumbled heap, and her father rose before her._

_"Papa," She gasped, and the man gently pulled her into an embrace as all went still throughout the night and someone rushed in from outside._

_"We won!" He declared triumphantly, "the rebels surrendered, and our dream has begun."_

_With that her father stood up from his spot and dropped his katana on the floor._

_"Finally," he whispered in relief, and Kaoru looked in surprise as he removed his gi and placed it over his most recent victim. "From this day forward," he declared, "I shall no longer hold my sword to slaughter, but to protect those precious to me, and teach other's to do the same." He glanced towards his daughter and smiled sadly, "no longer to kill but to live, live and fight all their dreams."_

Two days later the war officially ended, declaring Nishiki, her father's group, the final victors. The fighting stopped, and all those involved, especially the one known as "Hitokiri Battousai," brought the bloody bath to an end.

That was 10 years ago.

Since that time Kaoru picked up the sword, assisting her father as he strove to form the dojo and rebuild his life from the bloody ashes of an era passed. It took ten years to build up her school, and only two months to tear it down. Her father had passed, and Hitokiri Battousai arose again, or so they thought. Hitikori Battousai had never been one to boast about his skills, or so her father had said, but perhaps he had changed over the 10 years. Nonetheless Kaoru had to go and see if this man was who he seemed.

And with that grabbed her bokken she ran out the door. She hadn't gone far when she spotted him, a long haired man with a sword at his side. It had to be him.

"Hitokiri Battousai!" she cried, and the small man turned towards her, a curious look in his face. "For two months you have murdered at will, now it ends!"

And with that, Kaoru charged towards him, determination in her form. She saw as the man froze momentarily, a flicker of confusion in his eyes before leaping in to the air w/ such grace and fluidity, that Kaoru's breath caught. The moment was lost however, when he fell into a pile of pales no more then two meters a way.

"Are you really the Hitokiri Battousai?" she asked, a look of uncertainty in her eyes, "I heard you slew three more people last night."

"Rurouni," the man spoke in response, his calm voice making her heart warm. "This man is merely a Rurouni, a wandering swordsman," and Kaoru looked at him with another question in her eyes before he removed the sword from his belt and held it out towards her, "Do you really think I can kill someone with this?"

And Kaoru caulked her head to the left before slowly removing it from the sheath, stumbling back as the unfamiliar weight threw off her balance.

"A sakabato?" she said, and all too high notes in her voice, and the Rurouni smiled before standing up and dusting of his pants.

"Yes," he said in response, "This sword can't kill anyone, and it doesn't look as if I had, does it?"

Kaoru nodded dumbfounded. There was no dullness, no smears of blood, no chips or any other signs of use, and for all intensive purposes it looked as if it hadn't been used even once. Kaoru shook her head slowly, "No." She carefully handed the weapon back to the Rurouni, but she couldn't help but feel as if something was off. Despite the lack of use, the sword seemed to have a strange power reverberating off of it, and she couldn't help but think this man knew more than what he let on. Before she had time to contemplate, Kaoru heard a police whistle not to far away and dashed in that direction.

"Is it the real one this time," she called before rounding a corner about a block away. Unbeknownst to her, the Rurouni narrowed his eyes in anticipation, a look of curiosity and intrigue in his face as he felt her chi. _It seemed familiar._

Erasing those thoughts from his mind, he sensed as another, more powerful chi flared up in aggression. This person was not kind. He quickly dashed in that direction, ready for anything that might give need to intervene. He rounded the corner just in time to feel the girl's chi flare up in determination, a _very_ familiar chi. For a moment he was thrown back to the Bakumatsu, vaguely recalling a bright and tiny child in a circle of blood. Could it be? The small man's eyes widened as said object of curiosity leapt up and hit the giant man with short brown hair, girl no more.

The attack seemed futile as the giant smacked the bokken with his sword. As the man brought down his sword again, Kaoru rose to meet it, watching in horror as the blade sliced through her bokken and bit into her shoulder. The red haired man beneath the shadows went stalk still.

_Blood! _he thought_, her _blood, and any lingering doubts about the young woman's identity were dispelled. He knew that scent.

He tensed as he sensed the cruel man's impending attack, rushing in to prevent the girl's demise. _No!_

Kaoru gasped as what felt like a nearby canon hit her from the side. "You're quite the risk taker," she heard in her minds eye, and Kaoru turned to the side as a river of fiery hair and violet eyes filled her sight, blending with a dark voice.

"_Girl."_

"Rurouni." She barely managed to ask before the man looked at her enemy. The sound of a police whistle was heard and the giant hurriedly turned away, a look of madness in his eyes as her view the pair.

"I am Battousai!" he shouted, "Master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, but you can call me Hitikori Battousai!"

Kaoru reached out for the giant in protest, the Rurouni tightening his grip on her as she tried to wriggle from his arms.

"Reckless" he chided, and before she knew it they were off in the opposite direction, away from the place of altercation, away from the man who dishonored her family. Kaoru soon found herself in a familiar area, as the young man released her from his hold. Kaoru quickly treated her wounds as her companion took in his surroundings, focusing on the wall of name markers.

"Kamiya, Kaoru, Assistant Instructor," and the young man's eyes went wide before steadily gazing the strong woman in front of him.

"Miss Kaoru?" he said after a long moment, and she looked at him in surprise, before he spoke again. "You should stop."

"What?" She asked a tone of confusion in her voice.

"He's much stronger than you."

The young man reprimanded her on her actions earlier calmly explaining that she was mot strong enough to attack that man. Of course Kaoru could not accept that and all but bit his head off at his seeming insult. This man; this Rurouni had no right to say such things. He knew nothing of the struggle that had occurred when they were trying to build this school. He knew nothing of the mockery, the attacks and the laughter they had endured. Kaoru looked at him, a defiant look in her eye.

"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," she said slowly, an edge in her voice that said not to argue, "was formed by my father," She paused as she felt her heart constrict in her chest, "Rejecting Satsujin-Ken, sword that gives death, he built this style on Katsujin-Ken, sword that gives life, and now…" Kaoru felt the beginning of tears streaming through her eyes, she was getting angrier by the minute as she thought of what that horrible man had done, " Six-months ago he passed, and this man, this 'Hitikori Battousai,' has killed 10 people in our name," With that Kaoru leapt up from the ground, picking up her bokken as she did so. "My father's gift as been defiled… Such shame can not be understood by a mere Rurouni."

The handsome stranger looked at her, a slight smile on his face, gently dismissing her outburst, "Aa, but that wound still says no patrol for awhile." And with that the stranger headed for the door, but not before opening the door giving her a wistful look, "If you really believe in Katsujin-Ken, you have a duty to keep yourself alive. I doubt your father would want you to shed your life to protect his sword style."

With that he was gone. Kaoru paused for a moment, gazing after the wanderer, before her eyes became sad, a heavy feeling in her heart.

Two days later Kaoru stood in the Dojo, practicing kata as she prepared a plan of action, the previous events still fresh in her mind. Though they had barely met, that man had more impact on her then she would of thought possible. A mystery to no end, she found herself curious as to where he had come from.

"Hya!" Kaoru cried as her bokken hit its target perfectly. If only she could have gotten his name. Since the incident, she had proceeded to do some research on the giant who had smeared her father's name. What she found was that a man with a similar description had recently moved to a nearby dojo. Shortly after, the killing began. It didn't take too long to make the connection. Kaoru pursed her lips. She had wanted to go after him, but what the Rurouni told her earlier had wrung too. Was the style really worth her life? The obvious answer was no, but who else could do it?

"Mou!" she exclaimed in exasperation, "Stupid, confident, violet-eyed Rurouni," she muttered as she roughly picked up the papers and returned them where they belonged, "You could have at least helped me!" With that she slammed down her bokken and steadily paced about the dojo before finally settling on a small cushion in front of her father's memorial, a glass of tea beside her. After a moment the ground seemed to shake and the glass cracked beside her.

"What is th-," she whispered as the sound of the shoji door banged behind her. Startled from her concentration Kaoru whirled around just as a giant hand pushed open her door, "So," he smirked, "ready to give your dojo up?" And Kaoru stumbled back before grabbing a bokken.

"You!" she exclaimed, "What do you want from me?"

And the man smirked darkly, "10 years ago your father broke my thumb, now it's time for my revenge." With that he pointed his sword towards her, a mad look in his eyes, Kaoru placed her hand on a nearby bokken. "Why don't you pick up a sword and come at me," he sneered, "Since You believe in the sword that gives life," The man said, stalking ever closer, "use that sword to save your own."

Kaoru clenched her teeth, taking him up on his challenge. She leapt off the ground, aiming for the gut. With record strength it hit, and Kaoru smirked before the man easily gained composure, "Your power is all in your little girl dreams," he laughed and swung down his giant weapon, and Kaoru blocked it with ease before it shattered to bits. Frightened, Kaoru looked up at him in surprise.

The man smiled cruelly, "Sword that gives life is a fraud," he paused lifting her by her collar with ease. "Mastery and Death!" he shouted, "that is what the sword his truly for." A pause, "Now you die!"

Kaoru cried before the door banged open, and a rough looking man with shirt hair and a male kimono stood shaking. "Strong-," was the only word he could mutter before falling in a heap at the feet of a small, red-haired man, a cross shaped scar on his face.

"Rurouni…" she whispered in surprise.

"Sorry I'm late," he stated coolly, and the giant man sneered before lowering Kaoru just a bit.

"You! You here to lie about swords that give life too?"

"No," and Kaoru looked perplexed as she saw him approach, a dark tone in his voice. "A sword is a weapon, whatever pretty words you call it; swordsmanship is a way to kill."

Kaoru gasped, she recognized that voice.

"She speaks as someone who has never bloodied her hands, Kaoru- dono maintains a sweet, naïve lie."

Kaoru felt as if a knife had been stabbed into her heart. She would never have expected such cruel words from the kind man. He looked at her, a gentle glint returning to his hardened eyes, "but in the face of the truth, her idea is so much better." He paused momentarily, letting the weight of his words penetrate the room, "If this one had one wish, it would be that her lie become the truth."

And with that, the last of her concerns and doubts were dispelled. Someone believed in these ideals that she strived for. The giant just smirked and ordered his followers to dispose of the intruder. They gladly agreed.

"Hurting you all seems pointless," the cool voice answered from beneath his fiery main, "Anyone who dislikes seeing the doctor, leave now."

The mob mocked him in disbelief, laughing at the seeming absurdity of his request.  
They lunged for the attack.

"Rurouni! No!" Kaoru cried, but her fears seemed to be of naught as the small man ran into the thick of the fold, no sign of his appearance other than a flash of steel cutting through the mob. Kaoru looked on in awe as the mass of swordsman fell to the ground, swords clattering all at once. His movements were familiar.

_Everything was an act._

Too stunned to think any coherent thoughts at this time Kaoru stood silent as the man placed his sakabato on his shoulder and turned towards her captor.

"Oh and one more thing," he said darkly, "Hitokiri Battousai doesn't use Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," he paused, "but a style that pits one against many, Hiten Mitsuragi Ryu."

He turned towards them and Kaoru felt her body shiver as he looked at her captor, a steely glint in his eyes, different, yet so similar to the one she had seen so long ago. Kaoru's eyes widened as blue violet seemed to meld with an illusion of molten gold, and she felt a headache come on.

_"Girl."_

"If not for such a sword, the body count would increase 10 fold."

Thump, thump. Kaoru's heart was pounding so fast she didn't know what to say. This man, this Rurouni was him, the man that killed '1000' men, the one who brought the Bakumatsu to its end. This was the man who stood before her. Kaoru stared at him with wide blue eyes.

"Then your th-," Kaoru's captor dropped her with a careless toss, a wicked smirk on his face.

"And here I thought you were nobody," he spit, "Now I regret it."

"I should have defeated you earlier," the gentle Rurouni retorted, "quite regrettable."

"Ha!" he laughed, "This world has no room for two battousai's!" The giant lifted his sword to strike, but before he could do anything, the small figured disappeared into the air.

"Over here!" he called from above the giants head, and the brown haired man looked in horror as the smaller man brought down his sakabato and knocked him into the floorboards. And with that the crimson haired man turned towards the girl he had saved, not once, but three times, one of them in his darker years. Yes he knew; he had a feeling since he had first helped her. She was the one he had saved so long ago.

The handsome man looked towards her, a sad look in his eyes.

"My apologies Kaoru-Dono," he said politely, "but it is usually best if this isn't known." With that he turned towards the door, tossing back a polite farewell.

Kaoru felt as if her body was shaking when she saw him turning away, blood rushing through her veins ever so quickly. She knew he was dangerous, she knew she should let him go. She knew that his presence was a bad idea. He was the famed Battousai, the mass killer of the Bakamatsu, the demon who prowled through the night.

_But he had helped her…_

_He was kind…_

_He had nowhere to go…_

_He was alone…_

_Hitikori Battousai- Manslayer turned Wanderer_

-And in the 11th year of Meiji-

"Wa-wait!" she screamed before she could reconsider, and the man paused, a curious look in his eyes. "You think I can run the Dojo by myself! At least you can help me out! I don't care who you used to be!"

"Having the real Hitokiri stay here would no be good for you, especially after that Battousai Fiasco."

"I'm not asking for Battousai to stay, I'm asking for you the Rur-," Kaoru put her hand over her mouth only now realizing exactly how much their short encounter had affected her. What was she saying? Why would she want this so badly? He had helped her yes, but he was a Rurouni. He probably helped everybody he encountered. Kaoru quickly turned around, pride refusing to allow her request.

"F-Forget it! If you want to go, GO!" Kaoru, hesitated, did she really want this? Would she really be ok if he left?

"But…before you go tell me your name, 'Battousai is a warrior name right? What's your real name?" Kaoru paused, thinking of the weight of her words, he was a wanderer, a swordsman with no destination. "Or don't you want to tell me?"

Kaoru sighed as she heard the shoji door close. He was gone. Thinking he had rejected her, plea there was a tense silence before a soft voice met her ears, "Kenshin," his smooth baritone voice cut through the air, "Himura Kenshin; that is my name today."

Kaoru snapped her head up and suddenly it clicked into place, the hair, the eyes, the voice. She had heard that name before! Kaoru felt a pounding headache come on as she was once again a six year old girl, towards the end of the Bakumatsu.

_"My God I thought they would have killed you!" Her strong father called pulling her into a one armed embrace._

_"They tried but that red haired man-!" Her father's eyes went wide as he looked into the darkness._

_"Himura?" he asked incredulously, and dashed into the darkness. "Himura!"_

_Himura Kenshin_

He had been there, not only now, but back then, in the thick of the Bakumatsu. He had saved her when she had so carelessly stowed away. Kaoru spun towards Kenshin.

"This one is weary of traveling" he said simply, slowly walking towards her, "As a Rurouni one never knows when or where he'd be off to next. But please excuse this intrusion for a little while."

And Kaoru felt as if her sad and lonely heart began to warm. She wasn't sure for how long, but at least this man, this handsome, kind, powerful man would stay beside her now.

**Fin-**

And there you have it. This was originally the third part of my Into the Night story started 8 years ago, Wow. 8 Years! Almost as long as the time change from the Bakumatsu to Meiji Era in Samurai X, or Rurouni Kenshin. Whatever you prefer. This is the first of old stories I have begun to work on again, including the ever popular 'To Live Again' Or at least it was a decade ago!Please support my stories and leave a review!


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